Momma Cat
by Ouren
Summary: Selina Kyle grows closer to Dick Grayson, who is grieving on mother's day.
**Disclaimer: I do not own DC's Young Justice or their characters.**

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Selina Kyle and Dick Grayson weren't exactly close. They remained polite to each other but skirted around one another. The only time they spent together was when they were in uniform. Bruce served as the two's only connection. When Selina married Bruce, she gave up her life of crime and changed sides, but her criminal past added awkwardness to her and Dick's relationship.

Criminal pasts tend to do that to relationships.

Dick had put the her in jail on more than one occasion and she had clawed the boy's body into bloody messes multiple times. Now the teen and the woman were like allies, caring but distant.

Mother's day was approaching, which only added to the awkwardness between Dick and Selina. Technically she was his mother, so out of politeness, he would get her something small, like a card or a bouquet of flowers. He would place his gift on the desk in her room when she wasn't looking to avoid uncomfortable conversation. She never thanked him out loud for the exact same reason, but she made sure that Dick saw that she had kept all his gifts whenever he entered her room for whatever reason.

In general, however, Selina hated mother's day. Her own mother was distant and had committed suicide when she was young, so the holiday had no significant meaning to her, and she knew that the day was particularly painful for her husband. To makes things even worse, Bruce would isolate himself from her and the rest of the world to comfort his adopted son, who would spend the day mourning for his dead mother in his room.

This year, however, Bruce had been called away for an off-world crisis. The mission was mandatory, and no amount of batglaring could excuse him. Bruce knew how hard mother's day would be for Dick if he wasn't there and had apologized a thousand times to him. Dick said he understood, but his eyes showed how much pain he was in and how betrayed he felt.

When mother's day arrived, Dick locked himself in his room and grieved alone. Alfred, the manor's butler, did not even bother trying to get him to come out and eat.

 _He's probably dying in there_ , thought Selina. She wanted to help the boy, like a real mother would, but she just couldn't bring herself to do so. Their awkward and distant relationship and her uncertainty on how Dick would react to her comfort prevented her from consoling him. So, she pretended not to hear his quiet sobbing and sniffles and left him by himself. She went on patrol alone that night feeling guilty.

The cold, stormy weather added to her misery. She blew off some of her steam on group of gang members. Their leader managed to land a few punches onto her ribs, leaving them bruised. She made sure that he would stay in the hospital for a long time.

When she returned to the manor, she was cold, wet, in pain, and still feeling miserable. She took a long shower, letting the hot water soothe her injured ribs. Reluctantly Leaving the comfort of the hot water, she changed into her pajamas and made her way to her bedroom, hoping to catch a few hours of sleep.

Passing by Dick's room, she noticed that the light was on and that the door was slightly ajar. She realized that the boy probably had spent the entire night grieving and in pain. With her guilt multiplied by a tenfold, she crept into the room, her bare feet making no noise.

Dick's back was facing her. His shoulders were slouched forward and shaking with silent crying. His arms were clutched around his stomach, hugging himself. His eyes were locked on his window, watching the raindrops platter onto the glass and trace hypnotizing patterns as they ran down the pane. Selina's eyes went to a framed photograph on the wall. A muscular young man and a pretty young woman stood behind a young-looking Dick, their hands on his shoulders. He couldn't have been older than seven or eight. They were all beaming at the camera.

 _That's Dick's mother,_ Selina realized. _She must have loved Dick a lot. Unlike me, who doesn't even deserve calling him a son,_ she thought bitterly as her eyes moved back to the crying child. Dick, suddenly aware of her presence, whirled around, catching Selina by surprise.

"Dick! I…uh…" her usual quick mind abandoned her as she struggled to come up with an explanation for her intrusion of his privacy. She froze when she saw his eyes, brilliant blue and glistening with tears. He no longer looked like a tough vigilante but like the small child in the photo. He reached out tentatively to Selina.

"Mom…" he choked out. Selina was taken back momentarily before rushing forward to embrace the teen.

It was the first time he had ever called her his mother.

Her guilt and anger at herself was forgotten and replaced with a feeling of maternal love and protectiveness.

It was the first time she had ever felt like his mother.

Dick wrapped his arms tightly around Selina. Her ribs flared with pain, but she ignored it. Her hand traced soothing circles on his back. He buried his face into her shoulder and cried. Her hair, still damp and left down, tickled his cheek. He could smell her shampoo. Her fingers grazed over hitch on his through his shirt, a bulging scar from gash caused by her, no doubt. Suddenly, her guilt returned.

"Listen, Dick," she said softly. "I know that I haven't exactly been the best to you, lately or in the past, and I'm so so so sorry for that. I promise I won't be like that anymore. Please know that while I do not compare to your wonderful mother, I do love you."

Dick stopped crying. He looked up at her and gave her a sad smile. "You _are_ a lot like my mom, though. You're pretty, just like she was. And you do care for the ones that you love, just like she did." Dick put his head back on her shoulder. "Please don't ever leave."

"Never," she promised.


End file.
